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THE JOINT

Famous Dave’s a national BBQ restaurant chain with over 180 locations across the United States. They specialize in serving award winning BBQ in a casual dining environment. The Famous Dave’s chain of restaurants has won over 500 awards for Best Ribs, Best New Restaurant, Best Sauce, and a few other prized BBQ categories.

I ended up at Famous Dave’s in January when I was in Long Beach for the ISS Trade Show. I arrived a day early for the show to relax and meetup with other apparel industry friends. On this food trip, I went with my buddy Joseph from Hi Energy Networks who is always down for a burger adventure with me when we’re checking out the different trade shows. He also bought me this cool burger CD wallet (that my kids like to use as a pillow)

THE BURGER

When you’re at Famous Dave’s you order barbecue. But I was really craving a hamburger, so I made the compromise of ordering their Ultimate BBQ Burger which described as a juicy ground beef patty that sites underneath a pile (yes a pile) of Georgia chopped pork with two strips of jalapeño bacon, melted cheddar cheese and their signature Beam & Cola BBQ Sauce.

If you’re thinking that it sounds like a ridiculous amount of meat, you’d be right. When the burger came out without the top bun I had to do a double take at the mountain of meat they put before me.

The buns used were a little wimpy for the almost unethical amount of meat they slopped on the sandwich. It felt like the patty and BBQ was sneaking out on all sides. The burger wasn’t overly juicy, but the sweet Beam & Cola BBQ sauce helped to give the hamburger a flavor boost. The jalapeno bacon was one of the best parts of the burger; adding just a touch of spice to break up the meat parade.

As an “appetizer”, I ordered their Buffalo Wings which let me sample their award winning BBQ sauces one by one. Since I’m a fan of the hot stuff, their “Devil’s Spit” hot sauce was a welcome heat fix. They also had a new sauce there called “Pineapple Rage” and it was freakin’ delicious. One of the best BBQ sauces I’ve ever had. It had the perfect mix of sweetness from the pineapple and a little bit of spice to make sure you noticed it.

THE VERDICT

The Ultimate BBQ Burger seemed more of a “novelty burger” than a true burger lovers choice. Even for a true burgervore like me, the amount of protein they packed in the sandwich was a bit much. On my next trip to Famous Dave’s I’d probably try “Dave’s Favorite Burger” that is their take on a “Western Burger” (BBQ, Bacon, Cheddar Cheese) but I’d have them add their jalapeño bacon and beg for an extra helping of the Pineapple Rage BBQ sauce assuming it’s still around on the menu.